


I Told You So

by GaHoolianGirl



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But dont worry at this point in his life, Canon Compliant, Data Has Android Emotions, Data is confident enough in his personhood and knowledge of humor to know it's not an insult, Didn't get to the kiddos this time, Family Bonding, Family Dinners, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, For the Show, Grandparents & Grandchildren, I do Not Like the emotion chip no sir I explain my stance in the first A/N, It's all third person limited but each of the adults gets a section, M/M, Might expand this into a little series if I get oneor two more ideas with Harper who knows, No Emotion Chip, One Big Happy Family, Other, POV Multiple, Picnics, Post-Canon, The kid is important to the story but like only conceptually it's about the adults around him, They tease Geordi about marrying a machine a few times, in that I haven't seen the movies so I have no clue if this would fit in there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:47:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26616184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaHoolianGirl/pseuds/GaHoolianGirl
Summary: "Is Geordi happy? Does he make you happy?""My neural pathways, at this point, are reliant on Geordi to function as they are. If he were to no longer be part of my life, I would survive, but there would be countless subroutines I would have to rewrite, so in essence, I would no longer be the same person. So Geordi does not only make me happy, he is integral to what I define as happiness for myself. As for if Geordi is happy, I cannot say so for certain. Only he could answer that, but all the evidence suggests he is so. I... I do my best and will continue to do so for as long as I am able. I am afraid I can give you no more definite answer.""That was the best answer you could give me. I’m glad my son has found someone who loves him so thoroughly.”“Without Geordi, I would not even know what love is.”Geordi and Data, along with their adopted son Harper, visit Geordi's sister, niece, and father, and just have a nice day together as a family.
Relationships: Data/Geordi La Forge
Comments: 10
Kudos: 53





	I Told You So

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there!! I finally, FINALLY was able to write something of some substance for TNG era trek, after floundering around for a month. This was born of two desires 1) my love of Data and children, and 2) my desire to see SOMEONE do something with Edward and Ariana La Forge. I've seen some stuff with Silva, but almost nothing with his remaining family, and thought that was a damn shame.
> 
> My take on Data's emotion, taken straight from a tumblr post I made on my tumblr maid-of-the-golden-deer:
> 
> _"i'm personally ascribed to the theory that data has had unique android emotions all along, and that all the emotion chip does is allow him to process them through a human lens- and therefore he doesn't NEED the chip in any way, but it was still useful because it gave him a frame of reference for what he was already experiencing, allowing him to use words to describe them"_
> 
> So yeah no chip here just homegrown Data emotions

“You know, I’m finally almost tempted to say I told you so.”

Geordi raised an eyebrow at his sister, the lack of a VISOR making the expression more clear than it used to be, crossing his arms, “What, exactly, did you tell me?”

“That the only way you’d ever get married was if it were to a machine.” 

“Ariana!”

She laughed heartily at her brother’s indignation, deftly dodging a swat to her arm with practiced ease. They sat together in one of San Francisco's largest parks, the remnants of what was a lovely picnic scattered around them. About three meters away, Data was playing with two children- one of them his and Geordi’s, and the other Ariana’s. It was hard to determine the specifics from this distance, but it appeared that he was engaging in some sort of battle on the losing side, two “swords” (long sticks) being pointed at his midsection.

“The first time we see you in a year, and you choose to make fun of us?”

“What kind of sister would I be if I didn’t take the opportunity?” Ariana replied with a broad grin, patting Geordi on the shoulder. He couldn’t maintain his pout for very long, letting it fall into a soft smile.

“You’re off the hook this time, since I’m so damn happy,” he replied, looking out at Data and the children. The adoption process had been a struggle, not because they weren’t qualified, but, of course, because there were some who still thought less of Data simply because of how he was made. Eventually, and rightfully, they had proven their fitness as possible parents- and perhaps even superiority over other candidates- to the point where it could no longer be denied, and they had been matched with their son, Harper. Ariana had never seen her brother as happy as he was the day he sent her a subspace message telling her the good news two years ago, “He was a little shy at first, but of course Data got him to open up after only a couple of weeks. Now he’s outgoing as can be.”

She nodded, “He really has a way of getting to people to loosen up. He’s never going to judge you, or lie to you- you know exactly what he thinks about you. For a kid whose family left him, even if it wasn’t on purpose, that kind of certainty is reassuring.”

Geordi’s face molded into an expression of pride, love, and adoration, all mixed into one blissed out package. He had been married for going on four years, but he still hadn’t gotten over the newlywed honeymoon phase, and Ariana doubted he ever would. As a xenobiologist, she wasn’t nearly as well versed in cybernetics as her brother, but it was easy to understand how special it must be to the person an android _chooses_ to love, especially for Mr. Geordi ’My longest relationship before this was with a tricorder’ La Forge.

(Only she got to make fun of him for that, mind you. Anyone else would have an angry sister to answer to if they tried.)

“Yeah... and he’s always been great with kids too, I think somewhere, deep down in that positronic brain of his, he’s always wanted to be a father,” he said, leaning back to rest on his elbows, looking up at the sky with his ocular implants. He had gotten them about five years ago, and Ariana would never quite get used to him without the VISOR, “He’s pretty good at it. _He’s_ the fun dad, and _I’m_ the rules dad.”

“You don't let him touch your model ships, I take it?”

“They're delicate!”

Laughing again, she sat up straight to crack her back and stretch her arms up, a little stiff from sitting for so long, “I’m sure Harper loves you just as much, Geordi.”

That Look again, “Yeah. _Yeah,_ you're right.”

The pair caught the gaze of Data, and they both raised a hand to send him a little wave. He nodded, mouthing something they couldn’t quite hear, but they didn’t have to- only moments after, two children were barrelling towards them, shouting “We want ice cream!” in unison. After they had crossed the distance at remarkable speeds, Nadifa launched into her mother’s lap, while Harper skidded to his knees on the grass, getting a laugh out of both him and his dad.

“Ice cream?” Geordi began, “Now I wonder _who_ could have _possibly_ put that idea into your head.”

“My apologies,” Data said, in as close to a bashful tone as he ever came, picking up a giggling Harper to inspect his knees for injuries before unceremoniously setting him back onto the picnic blanket, “I had asked if the heat was beginning to get uncomfortable for them, and when they replied in the affirmative, I informed them I would assist them in cooling down.”

“So you suggested ice cream?”

“No, I was going to advise the procurement of water, but they made up their mind about the frozen treat and made haste in your direction.”

Ariana couldn’t hold back a laugh, gently stroking Nadifa’s hair, “What was it you were trying to tell us before?”

“Ah,” Data smiled slightly, more a quirk of lips than anything, but it got the message across loud and clear, “‘Incoming’.”

* * *

After much negotiating, it was determined that if everyone was on their best behavior while they visited Grandpa Eddie, then they would be allowed to replicate the messiest, most chocolatey ice cream sundae they could imagine. Ariana and the kids didn’t yet know Data well enough to clock that subtle head tilt he did, but Geordi caught it, and knew exactly what was churning in those circuits. He had been working on replicator formulas for ice cream with greater nutritional value that tasted exactly the same, and he was trying to complete it in this head before the time arose. His husband knew better than that, however. 

For all humanity’s advancements, healthy ice cream that tasted just the same was still beyond them, especially if the recipient _knew_ that it was healthy. And as he didn’t like lying to Harper, Data would no doubt inform him, ruining the purpose of the deception in the first place.

Ahhh, Data. Geordi loved him so.

While Harper chatted away with Nadifa, he snuck a quick kiss to his spouse’s cheek, which his sister was gracious enough to ignore. When they finally arrived at the siblings’ father’s place of residence, they were greeted with open arms by an eager Edward La Forge. In the years following his wife’s passing, he had become more invested in the life of his family. He had always loved them- if there was one thing that was never in shortage in the La Forge family, it was love- but like Silva he had been content in the transitory nature of their lives.

Not anymore.

Now he insisted on visits from his kids, android-in-law, and grandkids as often as they were able, and none of them were keen to say no. He was a doting grandparent, and as a retired Starfleet officer, was always excited to hear about whatever research the adults were working on at the moment. All in all, these get-togethers were highlights of their time whenever they were on Earth.

“Now, are these my favorite grandkids, or am I getting so old I’m starting to see things?”

“You’re not old, Grandpa Eddie!” Nadifa said in quite serious exasperation, putting her hands on her hips with the decided certainty only an eight year old could have, “I heard Uncle Data say that humans live to be almost a hundred and twenty and you’re not even eighty!”

“She is correct,” Data confirmed, and the entire party sans himself shared a laugh, though he did smile, which widened when his husband squeezed his hand in delight.

* * *

It was a common pastime for retirees in the 24th century to practice cooking with non-replicated materials, as it was considered something of a luxury to have the time, space, and energy to achieve, and Edward was no exception. 

“Keeps the mind, heart, and hands busy,” he had often told them, and Data thought it a wise choice. It was an excellent method of practicing fine motor control into one’s old age, as well as a means of making sure you maintained a healthy diet. He did not know Edward that well on a personal level, but a fascinating facet of marriage he had discovered was the unconscious desire to ensure the well being of one’s newly gained extended family (provided they were worthy of it. Data held no illusions that Geordi owed Lore any form of affection). 

On this particular day, his father-in-law had asked Data for assistance in the kitchen while Geordi and Ariana watched Harper and Nadifa. He had agreed.

“What are we making?”

“Malai Kismayo,” he replied, leading Data to the fish, which he could immediately tell had already marinated for a some amount of time, his acute olfactory systems picked up the strong scents of cumin, garlic, salt, lemon, and vinegar. He tilted his head in confusion, quickly accessing the files he had on recipes for that meal.

“Excuse me, but given the level of skill I know you possess and the amount of effort needed for this dish, you should not require my help.”

“I just wanted a reason to talk with you one on one,” Edward admitted with a laugh as he grabbed the olive oil and pan, “You’re in high demand these days, and I always thought I’d like to get to know you a little better.”

“Hm,” Data hummed thoughtfully, moving to turn the stovetop on, “That is a wise decision. If my son were to be the first human to marry an android, I too would have questions.”

The aging man gave him a Look, which he instantly recognized as one characteristic of the La Forge family. He stored that conclusion away for later research on the subject of the genetic heritability of expressions, “That’s not it at all, don’t you worry. It might have been a little amazing to learn, but knowing Geordi, it was hardly a surprise.”

“You are not the first person I have heard intimate that Geordi would one day enter a relationship with a machine in a humorous manner.”

“You mean Ariana,” he said with a laugh, looking over the hot oil and deeming it ready. He took two pieces of marinated fish and placed it into the pan with great care, not looking at Data as he spoke, “We tease him about it now because he’s gotten much better. He had a hard time of it as a kid- he was always better at tinkering with machines than talking to other people. Me and Silva always blamed ourselves, never giving him a stable home and time to make real friends. Ah, do you mind pulling the salad out of the fridge?’

Data did as requested, but paused before fully placing it on the countertop, “I do not believe Geordi would hold either of you accountable for his social anxieties.”

“No, I don’t suppose he would,” with effort, he flipped the fillets, nodding with satisfaction at their coloration, “Geordi’s too good natured for that. Both of them are, we were lucky to have such good kids. But that’s something you’ll discover in the long term experiment that is parenthood, Data. The truth of the matter doesn’t always... matter. Some things will always feel like your fault, even if all the evidence tells you otherwise. It doesn’t make any logical sense, unfortunately.”

Data thought of Lal.

“Yes. I understand.”

If the man was surprised by his admission, he did an admirable job of not displaying it, “That’s good. That’s one of the most important realizations for a parent to have. Pass me a plate?” when he received it, Edward smiled, placing a paper towel atop it before laying the fish over it, “Thank you. Now, I _do_ have a hard question for you.”

“I will answer with the best of my ability," he replied earnestly, deciding to use his free hands to obtain the necessary plates and silverware.

"Is Geordi happy? Does he make _you_ happy?"

That was indeed a difficult question. It was one he posed to himself each day after his dream program terminated and he 'woke up'. And each day he came to a slightly different conclusion. But to answer his father-in-law, he chose to quickly accumulate all the data he had and articulate it as best he could.

"My neural pathways, at this point, are reliant on Geordi to function as they are. If he were to no longer be part of my life, I would survive, but there would be countless subroutines I would have to rewrite, so in essence, I would no longer be the same person. So Geordi does not only make me happy, he is integral to what I define as happiness for myself. As for if Geordi is happy, I cannot say so for certain. Only he could answer that, but all the evidence suggests he is so. I..."

He tilted his head in his characteristic manner, processing his next thought carefully, "I do my best and will continue to do so for as long as I am able. I am afraid I can give you no more definite answer."

After Edward put the last three fillets on the plate, he turned to clasp a firm hand on Data's shoulder, giving it a firm shake, "That was the best answer you could give me. I’m glad my son has found someone who loves him so thoroughly.”

“Without Geordi, I would not even know what love is.”

With a soft, gentle smile, his father-in-law gave his shoulder one last squeeze, “One day you’ll understand that what you just told me is the highest honor a parent could ever hope to hear. I’ll plate these bad boys, you go bring everyone to the dinner table.”

“Aye, sir.”

* * *

Seeing your family enjoying food you put together with your own hands brought joy unlike any other. Far be it from Edward to truly complain about replicators, ending world hunger was a far more important issue than his personal preference, but a replicated meal could never compare to this. The joy on their faces, the comments, compliments,and yes, critiques, on his cooking fill the air with lively conversation.

“...it is still in the early stages of development, but it is being considered as a viable alternative to warp energy within the next two centuries.”

Well, when you have some of the most brilliant minds in the ‘fleet gathered at one table, of course they were going to have more to talk about than cooking, but Edward couldn’t truly find it in himself to mind. There was something just as amusing to see his three kids discuss the possibility of a new biofuel that could be manufactured from bacteria on a planet galaxies away while his grandkids discussed the merits of crayons versus markers right next to them.

While he wished Silva could be here with him, he knew that she would feel just as proud as he did, and that was comforting enough.

“Grandpa Eddie?” Harper spoke up shyly, and his grandfather smiled reassuringly.

“What is it?”

“Can we have our ice cream now? I ate all my dinner, the vegetables too! Even the yucky ones!”

Data turned to him, tone flatly, but not harshly, admonishing, “Harper, we have discussed that the ‘yucky’ ones are vital for-”

“Another time, Data,” Ariana said with amusement, “A promise is a promise, after all.”

“If you get a stomach ache, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Geordi called out to them as they ran at top speed towards the replicator in the kitchen. Edward knew they were going to make a mess, but what could you do?

“There is an approximately an eighty percent likelihood that he will, in fact, get a stomach ache, as he usually asks for more than he can consume.”

Edward came forward, leaning on his elbows and pointing an accusatory finger at Geordi, “Sounds like a certain someone when he was that age.”

“I literally _couldn’t_ see how much I had!”

Father and daughter laughed at Geordi, whose spouse did not join in, but did rest a sympathetic hand on his husband’s arm with an amused smile on his synthetic lips.

...interrupting them was a loud splat that made them all, except Data, jump in their seat.

“Uhm, mommy, I think I asked for too much chocolate,” came a distressed voice from the kitchen. Before Geordi could laugh at his sister’s exasperated look, he heard, “Daddy, it’s all melting!!!”

Both parents sighed, leaving the table to address the situation. Edward turned to Data, raising an eyebrow, “You’re not going to go with him?”

He shook his head.

“Often, when Harper does something that causes frustration, Geordi tells me that ‘he is your problem right now’, bothin jest and seriousness. So therefore, he is currently Geordi’s ‘problem’. I will remain here with you, as I wish to demonstrate my dislike for that line of reasoning. He says that it is not so bad nor does he do it frequently. When he returns, I plan to admonish him with a well timed ‘I told you so.’”

If Edward laughed any harder, he could be heard on the moon.•

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted Edward to be cooking a dish from Somali, where Geordi was born, and I found [this](http://www.somalikitchen.com/malai-kismayo-fried-fish-kismayo-style.html/#more-47) lovely and helpful blog. For the name of Ariana's daughter, I just used the name of the one [she has in the beta canon](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ariana_La_Forge) for ease. I didn't mention Nadifa's other parent(s) because I'm personally fond of leaving that stuff up to you guys. I hope you enjoy, and let me know whatyouthought!


End file.
